


One-man Starfighter

by aph3lion



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: And Yoda, Angst, F/M, Gen, Obidala, and the droids - Freeform, but in a friendship kinda way, missing moments from ROTS, or is it...?, with a guest appearance of Bail Organa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 16:30:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20910683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aph3lion/pseuds/aph3lion
Summary: When Obi-Wan and Padmé leave Mustafar after the duel Obi-Wan finds something that makes him think differently about her.Or just like the old saying goes: "Write the missing moments obidala fics you want to see in the world"





	One-man Starfighter

**Author's Note:**

> OK so I wrote my last fic in 2012 and suddenly at 3am got the urge again. Please forgive me any errors (especially with formatting of direct speech), I am not a native english speaker.  
Enjoy :))

The smoke and heat still burned in Obi-Wan Kenobi's lungs when he moved again. After he struck down his former Padawan something far away from the feeling part of his brain took over and almost mechanically brought him a safe distance away from hisdying friend. A taste of smoke and the sudden urge to be anywhere but here made Obi-Wan aware of his surroundings again. _Padmé!_ Obi-Wan thought. _If she is still laying on the platform, her pulse was weak before the fight... If she is still in the heat she might be... No._ He he did not let himself finish this thought. Swallowing down his grief, fear and the disgusting taste in his mouth he made his way back to her skiff, as fast as his aching body allowed him.  
The chromium J-type star skiff with it's smooth lines was hard to miss, a mirror for the burning planet surrounding it. Obi-Wan quickened his pace when he saw that Padmé was no longer on the landing platform, where he left her when the lightsaber fight began. _No! If one or two of the Clones found her... Did Anakin bring backup? _Obi-Wan was not sure if he had the strength to fight anyone else today. _Please let her be safe_ he plead to the force, walking up to the skiff's opened ramp. The senator's golden protocol droid, now also serving as a mirror for the red and orange lava rivers surrounding them, came shuffling out, almost hitting Obi-Wan in the process. “We brought the Senator on board, yes. Please Master Kenobi, let us leave this gruesome Place” Obi-Wan was surprised to hear what he thought sounded like genuine worry in the droid's voice.  
He ascended the rest of the ramp, the astromech droid R2-D2, another reminder of his fallen friend, following him. The skiff's inside was cooled down which served as a relief for the exhausted Jedi Master. “Where is she?” “We, meaning R2-D2 and me, we put her in the medical bay. The human anatomy is not my place of expertise. I am just a protocol unit. But she seemed unwell, so we put her there,“ answered C-3PO anxiously. Obi-Wan nodded, took the right-hand corridor and after some steps found two doors. Behind the one on the right side was the unmistakable force signature of his dear friend and without wasting another second he entered.  
Senator Padmé Amidala lay on the bed, almost motionless beside her weakly rising and falling chest. A heart rate monitor confirmed what Obi-Wan felt when checking her pulse earlier. Still unstable and weak. But still beating. Obi-Wan noticed that he had held his breath since turning to the medical bay. He quietly let out the air in his lungs while making the two paces to his dear friend's bedside. Careful, as not to scare her he touched her shoulder. He wanted to hold her, embrace her, tell her that he was sorry for hiding and tell her how important she was for him. He wanted to do and say everything that he could not say to Anakin. And now it was too late.  
As if she heard his thoughts Padmé's eyes opened a bit, “Obi-Wan? Is Anakin all right?” He never heard Padmé speak in a voice like this before. Weary. Worried. Even more than when they met in her apartment earlier today. Before Obi-Wan could answer, Padmé sighed quietly. Almost like she knew all he could give her was not very good news, she fell unconscious again.  
Obi-Wan blinked away the tears. _Please Padmé, hold on. _He carefully covered Padmé, who had started to shiver with a blanket, which was the standard model in every medbay on every civilized planet. One just like that had warmed Obi-Wan in the coldness of hyperspace in his one-man star fighter many times, when his missions sent him to the Outer Rim Territories.  
The memory of space fighters reminded him of what he had to do which was to leave. As quickly as possible. Before the Emperor's men or even the man himself started to wonder where the person they knew as Darth Vader was. Obi-Wan found his way to the sleek cockpit, where C-3PO already sat in the co-pilot's seat.  
The Jedi easily found the nav computer and was very thankful that the ship never shut down completely and even more for the raw power the spacecraft possessed. Firing it up again might have cost precious time that they did not have. Polis Massa. The small mining colony Bail Organa, Master Yoda and he agreed on meeting on. Obi-Wan set the course. It would take them six standard hours to get there. _You just have to hold on for a little longer, Padmé_ he thought to himself, worrying that her state would worsen even more. He let the droid do the lift-off, only minorly correcting the course. ”I think I am finally getting this whole flying thing!” The protocol driod exclaimed as they entered hyperspace with the typical small rumble.  
The unparalleled sound and visuals of travelling trough hyperspace made Obi-Wan more tired than he was already. He closed his eyes and meditated. When he opened them again some time had passed and Obi-Wan felt stiff.

A painful sting went through his right shoulder when he tried shifted postitions in the pilot's seat. A reminder of the gruesome fight. “Is there a medi-kit somewhere besides the medbay, Threepio? I don't want to wake the Senator,” he asked the droid, who still had his hands on the controls, even though the ship was flying on autopilot. He banned the thought from his brain that he probably would not even able to wake the Senator if he wanted to. “Why yes Master Kenobi. It is across the medbay, in Senator Amidala's personal quarters. Directly next to the door. Are you hurt, Master Kenobi? Do you need assistance?” While 3PO had given the exact location, Obi-Wan had already risen from his seat. “Thank you, ” he said in earnest, already half out of the cockpit.  
The familiar doors greeted him and after thinking for a short moment, he used the force to open the medbay. He caught a glimpse of Padmé, now laying on her side. She had risen her knees as far as her stomach allowed her to. Obi-Wan watched her and just as he was to turn around to finally take care of whatever physical wounds he had gotten in his fight, he noticed something that worried him. It was hard to see clearly with the blanket covering Padmé almost completely but after the same thing happened again he was sure of what had just happened. Padmé's whole body tensed for a moment, her brows furrowed and she winced a little bit.  
_Oh no__._ Other than the droid he knew of human anatomy and about what was probably happening to his friend right now. He darted to her bedside. Even though it hurt he bent down, put his hand on her shoulder again and shook her gently. “Padmé, wake up. Are you in pain? Please...” Obi-Wan almost sounded like a young, inexperienced Padawan again, all while trying to get a reaction out of her. “Please, Padmé. Are you having contr... Padmé?” Her eyes opened a little bit. “It hurts, Obi-Wan... The Baby...He...” she managed to answer before falling unconscious again. _Force no, she probably got hurt more than I thought and now she is having contractions and it's still four and a half standard hours to Polis Massa_. Obi-Wan assessed the situation. _First, I will clean up my wounds, I am no use in this sorry state. Then I will take care of Padmé. There must be something I can do for her._ He rose again, ignoring the pain in his legs and strode to Padmé's personal quarters, just across the narrow hall.  
The door opened with the typical small hiss and the soft lights in the turned on. Obi-Wan found himself in a comfortable room with a bed directly in front and a space-saving desk and chair to his right. The panel directly next to the door was marked with the aurebesh sign that typically meant “Medkit in here”, just like Threepio had said. Before Obi-Wan turned to open it something caught his attention. On the neatly made bed rested a palm-sized holoprojector and next to it a knife. The blade was almost as long as a lightsaber hilt. The handle was made out of some kind of metal and it had grooves to ensure that whoever was using it would not lose his or her grip.  
Obi-Wan swallowed hard. _What was your plan exactly, Padmé?_  
He reached for the holoprojector first. Almost instantly the blue likeness of Padmé materialized and began to speak. A recorded message. ”Hello there, Obi-Wan. This is a message with some... requests in case I am not brave enough to do what I plan to do. Or rather have to do. I had some time to think about what you told me. That we all were deceived by a lie. That he... killed younglings. I believe you Obi-Wan, you wouldn't lie directly to my face, but I have to hear him say it. If he does then I will...” She paused, her eyes wandering to something out of the frame, and continued, “This is not a goodbye, be sure of that my friend. If I am brave enough and miraculously do not get hurt in the process I will need your help more than ever before. With continuing the political work, fixing the Republic. I will need your help with Luke someday... You are a wanted man now, Obi-Wan Kenobi. It's not like you have much of a choice.” Even through the recording quality of the hologram was not the best the sarcasm was not lost on Obi-Wan and could not help but smile. _It would have been impossible for you to just leave anything to chance, wouldn't it? _he thought, reminiscing their time together. “Now, in case I am... not brave enough. In case he hurts me in some way or something goes wrong. I will be terrified beyond belief, Obi-Wan. I hate medical centres. That does not mean you shouldn't get me to one in case I get hurt. I just... please stay by my side.  
Now the request for the absolute worst case. Leia for a girl, Luke for a boy. Please watch over the child, if I am not able to, do you understand me? My child is yours in case something happens. That's all I am saying on that matter.” Her eyes had slowly filled with tears while she was speaking those last sentences and her hand came into view to wipe them away. ”Now, to you Obi-Wan Kenobi, this message is for you after all. Did you know that you are my oldest friend? Besides my handmaidens of course, but they are more like family. I met Bail and Mon after I met you. We have known each other for thirteen standard years now. Thirteen! That is almost half of my life. Again, this is no goodbye but... Well... Please never change, Obi-Wan. Your honesty is something that has become rare in the galaxy. Never change. I love you, Obi-Wan. You're the bravest person I know. That's all I wanted to say, you know, just in case I don't manage to... I still have a feeling that somehow I can talk some sense into him... And if it goes terribly wrong I still have you, my only hope Obi-Wan. And please don't do something behind my back ever again. I know you are in the storage closet at the end of the hallway. The skiff gave me an intruder alert shortly after we entered hyperspace. It's too late to turn back now. Lastly, I will give you the same advice you gave a friend we share some time ago. Please don't do anything stupid.” The holo flickered for a second and went out. He did not know it yet but this hologram would be a memory that Obi-Wan kept and cherished in his years of solitude on Tatooine.  
Obi-Wan felt a lump in his throat and with a sob, he sat down on the soft bed. The tears started flowing now, something he tried to avoid since the Jedi massacre, and left wet trails on his face. Now he could not stop crying. Padmé had the plan to kill Anakin herself, but could not go through with it. Padmé was afraid of medical centres but this is where he would bring her now. Padmé loved him. About the unfairness of all this. Every new revelation brought new tears and washed over him like a wave. The thought of caring for his wounds seemed completely irrelevant now. There was only one place he should be. He stood up and quickly made the few steps across the hall, tears still going down his face, leaving wet spots where they fell on his soot-covered robe. He got to Padmé's bedside again, wiping his tears with his sleeve. Awkwardly, he embraced the still unconscious Padmé. Her position made it hard for him to give her a proper embrace and just as he wanted to let her go a contraction made her tense up and gasp quietly. He held her through the contraction. And through the next. And through the next. Obi-Wan was still crying and holding Padmé as he found the power to speak again. “Please forgive me Padmé. I know what you meant when you said I love you. You are my only friend left. Please, forgive me. I love you, too. You will meet your child soon and I... of course I will help you.” After a sob he continued, almost whispering, “Please don't leave me, too.”  
In the remaining time they needed to reach Polis Massa, Obi-Wan held Padmé's hand and reminded her of the adventures they had together and together with a special friend they had shared. It all seemed so long ago. Padmé did not do him the favour of regaining consciousness. But he was sure that she listened to every word he said.  
Only when they were close to the mining colony, Obi-Wan took the pilot's seat again to contact Bail Organa and to land the ship. It was not yet powered down completely when Obi-Wan rushed to the medical bay and picked up Padmé, ignoring the aching in his arms. He did not have the time to wait for someone to get her. The contractions got worse and her heartbeat more irregular in the time they were in hyperspace. Bail Organa greeted them and without losing time led the way to the nearest medical facility. The Medics knew of Padmé's condition and were quick to put her in a white gown and examine her. That was the only time Obi-Wan left Padmé's side.

In the short time the alien Medics and medical droids did their triage work Bail and Yoda got the short version of what had happened on Mustafar. That Padmé was not able to turn Anakin and that it had been him that hurt her. That Obi-Wan and him fought and that Anakin lost. That Obi-Wan did not have the power to kill him but rather left and let the force decide.  
When he finished his report, a medical droid floated quietly out of the room where Padmé was. Through the transparisteel they could see her, lying completely still while one of the doctors read the monitors surrounding her. “Medically she is completely healthy. For reasons we can't explain we are losing her,” the droid explained to the three who were waiting. His worst fear was becoming a reality and with his voice almost breaking, Obi-Wan asked to confirm what he just heard, ”She's dying?” “We don't know why. She's lost the will to live. We have to operate quickly if we want to save the babies.” Bail Organa was now the one to ask, “Babies?” He was seriously surprised, just as the two Jedi. “She is carrying twins,” the droid answered in it's sympathetic though mechanical voice. It's sensory receptors focused on Obi-Wan for a second. The droid probably thought that he was the one in charge of the new patient, since he was the one that brought her in. As Bail Organa opened his mouth to speak the droid had already returned to the alien medics in the operating theatre. “We have to authorize this operation,” he stated, the fear noticeable in his otherwise strong, senatorial voice. Yoda slowly nodded. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan stroked his beard, remembering what Padmé admitted in her holographic message. _Maybe a familiar face will take a little bit of her fear away._ Without another thought he stepped through the door. The room smelled of disinfectant. Behind him, a droid also entered the room. It had an almost blank face, not unlike the native Polis Massans, and it's arms were formed like soft paddles. A thin layer of dust covered its head. One medic quickly wiped it clean to minimize the risk of contamination and gave it instructions in a language Obi-Wan could not understand. In his time in the Clone Wars he had seen his fair share of specialized units made for various tasks but the grey-green droid was a model Obi-Wan did not recognize.  
“Please save the babies and please also try to save her,” he said to no one in particular and went to stand next to the head of the floating hospital bed. He would not leave her side. A doctor answered in their language and the medical droid that spoke to him in the hallway translated, “We will do what we can.” The standard answer. The Polis Massans were known to be skilled xenobiologists and doctors and they seemed eager to help but wanted to make no promises.  
In his dirty boots and burned robe he felt out of place in this more than clean room. But even if the medics and medical droids did not want him in the operating theatre none of them even tried to remove him. The specialized droid began it's work. It carefully put Padmés legs in an angled position and installed some kind of cover starting on her waist level right down to her knees. It made it hard to see for Obi-Wan and the other onlookers what the droid was doing but Obi-Wan was not angry about that. He had understood the specialized droid's task the moment it moved Padmé's legs. A midwife droid that would help with the birth of the twins.  
Obi-Wan took his best friend's hand and in a soft voice told her everything the droids and medics were doing. “Now one of them is preparing a shot for you. They will give it to you in a second” The droid informed him in a neutral tone that this would wake the patient and that the procedure was not possible with the patient unconscious. It administered the shot and instant later Padmé woke with a gasp. She raised her head, looked down her body as far as the light coloured cover allowed it and then at Obi-Wan, who was still holding her hand in his two before speaking. “What is happening Obi-Wan?”“You are having twins. Everything is going to be all right.” He tried to smile confidently for her. The contractions hit her and she winced, clearly in pain. It hurt Obi-Wan to see her like this and he tried to ease the pain through the force while the midwife droid offered some soothing sounds. Obi-Wan could not say how much time exactly passed and how many contractions Padmé endured before they heard a cry pierce through the small room. A boy. “Luke,” Padmé said in a steady tone, not wasting any time. Obi-Wan knew that she did not need to think up a name on the spot. The children's names were set, probably months ago. Back when their mother and father enjoyed a calm moment before the storm neither of them knew was coming. The droid offered Obi-Wan to hold the infant. After all, the droid needed it's hands free for what was still to come. He carefully took the baby in his arms and smiled. The Jedi Master showed the small boy to Padmé, who managed to smile back even through the pain. She used her now free hand to caress Luke's cheek, “Oh, Luke”. Padmé was not able to hold him though, so Obi-Wan just held the boy softly pressed to his own chest but so that Padmé could see her him. Another contraction. _By the force, she is getting paler by the second. _Obi-Wan held Luke safe in his arms. There was nothing more he could do and he had the feeling that the baby was just as comforting for him as he was for it. The next contraction would be the last. “It's a girl,” Obi-Wan said, offering another smile. He handed Luke off to a waiting medic and took the little girl from the droid. “Leia,” Padmé struggled to stay awake. “You have to hold on for them, please,” Obi-Wan tried one last time. Padmé' turned to him, her drab eyes focusing on his blue ones. He knew that look from the many battlefields the war forced him to fight on. The next words she said would probably be her last. “Obi-Wan... there is good into him. I know... I know there is... still...”. And with that Padmé Amidala, Senator, former Queen and Obi-Wan's dearest friend died in the bright lights of a medical station on a research asteroid belt in the Outer Rim.  
  
After what had felt like an eternity he reluctantly let go of her cold hand. Then, and only then, Obi-Wan Kenobi was sure that he could leave her side.

**Author's Note:**

> The idea of Padmé confronting Anakin with a knife was not my idea. It comes from an artbook of ROTS where concept artist Ian McCaig imagined her with plan to assassinate Anakin with a blade but eventually not going through with it.


End file.
